The invention relates to an inductor comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive segments interwoven with a substrate. The inductance of the inductor is increased through the use of coatings and films of ferromagnetic materials such as magnetic metals, alloys, and oxides. The inductor is compatible with integrated circuit manufacturing techniques and eliminates the need in many systems and circuits for large off chip inductors. A sense and measurement coil, which is fabricated on the same substrate as the inductor, provides the capability to measure the magnetic field or flux produced by the inductor. This on chip measurement capability supplies information that permits circuit engineers to design and fabricate on chip inductors to very tight tolerances.
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1. An inductor comprising:
a semiconductor substrate; a conductive path through the semiconductor substrate and operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the semiconductor substrate.
15. An inductor comprising:
a germanium substrate; a conductive path woven through the germanium substrate, the conductive path operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the germanium substrate; and a test coil embedded in the germanium substrate and coupled to the reinforcing magnetic flux.
6. An inductor comprising:
a semiconductor substrate; a conductive path woven through the semiconductor substrate, the conductive path operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the semiconductor substrate; and a test coil embedded in the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the reinforcing magnetic flux.
18. An inductor comprising:
a semiconductor substrate; a conductive path woven through the semiconductor substrate, the conductive path operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the semiconductor substrate; and a spiral test coil formed on the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the reinforcing magnetic flux.
9. An inductor comprising:
a silicon carbide substrate; a conductive path woven through the silicon carbide substrate, the conductive path operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the silicon carbide substrate; and a detachable test coil embedded in the silicon carbide substrate and coupled to the reinforcing magnetic flux.
12. An inductor comprising:
a gallium arsenide substrate; a conductive path woven through the gallium arsenide substrate, the conductive path operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the gallium arsenide substrate; and a detachable test coil embedded in the gallium arsenide substrate and coupled to the reinforcing magnetic flux.
21. An inductor comprising:
a gallium arsenide substrate; a conductive path woven through the gallium arsenide substrate, the conductive path operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the gallium arsenide substrate; and a laser detachable test coil embedded in the gallium arsenide substrate and coupled to the reinforcing magnetic flux.
3. The inductor of
a test coil embedded in the substrate for measuring the reinforcing magnetic flux.
5. The inductor of
22. The inductor of
23. The inductor of
24. The inductor of
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This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 09/350,601, filed Jul. 9, 1999, now Pat. No. 6,240,622.
This invention relates to inductors, and more particularly, it relates to inductors used with integrated circuits.
Inductors are used in a wide range of signal processing systems and circuits. For example, inductors are used in communication systems, radar systems, television systems, highpass filters, tank circuits, and butterworth filters.
As electronic signal processing systems have become more highly integrated and miniaturized, effectively signal processing systems on a chip, system engineers have sought to eliminate the use of large, auxiliary components, such as inductors. When unable to eliminate inductors in their designs, engineers have sought ways to reduce the size of the inductors that they do use.
Simulating inductors using active circuits, which are easily miniaturized, is one approach to eliminating the use of actual inductors in signal processing systems. Unfortunately, simulated inductor circuits tend to exhibit high parasitic effects, and often generate more noise than circuits constructed using actual inductors.
Inductors are miniaturized for use in compact communication systems, such as cell phones and modems, by fabricating spiral inductors on the same substrate as the integrated circuit to which they are coupled using integrated circuit manufacturing techniques. Unfortunately, spiral inductors take up a disproportionately large share of the available surface area on an integrated circuit substrate.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.
The above mentioned problems and other problems are addressed by the present invention and will be understood by one skilled in the art upon reading and studying the following specification. An integrated circuit inductor compatible with integrated circuit manufacturing techniques is disclosed.
In one embodiment, an inductor capable of being fabricated from a plurality of conductive segments and interwoven with a substrate is disclosed. In an alternate embodiment, a sense coil capable of measuring the magnetic field or flux produced by an inductor comprised of a plurality of conductive segments and fabricated on the same substrate as the inductor is disclosed.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.
Substrate 103 provides the structure in which highly conductive path 114 that constitutes an inductive coil is interwoven. Substrate 103, in one embodiment, is fabricated from a crystalline material. In another embodiment, substrate 103 is fabricated from a single element doped or undoped semiconductor material, such as silicon or germanium. Alternatively, substrate 103 is fabricated from gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, or a partially magnetic material having a crystalline or amorphous structure. Substrate 103 is not limited to a single layer substrate. Multiple layer substrates, coated or partially coated substrates, and substrates having a plurality of coated surfaces are all suitable for use in connection with the present invention. The coatings include insulators, ferromagnetic materials, and magnetic oxides. Insulators protect the inductive coil and separate the electrically conductive inductive coil from other conductors, such as signal carrying circuit lines. Coatings and films of ferromagnetic materials, such as magnetic metals, alloys, and oxides, increase the inductance of the inductive coil.
Substrate 103 has a plurality of surfaces 118. The plurality of surfaces 118 is not limited to oblique surfaces. In one embodiment, at least two of the plurality of surfaces 118 are parallel. In an alternate embodiment, a first pair of parallel surfaces are substantially perpendicular to a second pair of surfaces. In still another embodiment, the surfaces are planarized. Since most integrated circuit manufacturing processes are designed to work with substrates having a pair of relatively flat or planarized parallel surfaces, the use of parallel surfaces simplifies the manufacturing process for forming highly conductive path 114 of inductor 100.
Substrate 103 has a plurality of holes, perforations, or other substrate subtending paths 121 that can be filled, plugged, partially filed, partially plugged, or lined with a conducting material. In
Highly conductive path 114 is interwoven with a single layer substrate or a multilayer substrate, such as substrate 103 in combination with magnetic film layers 112 and 113, to form an inductive element that is at least partially embedded in the substrate. If the surface of the substrate is coated, for example with magnetic film 112, then conductive path 114 is located at least partially above the coating, pierces the coated substrate, and is interlaced with the coated substrate.
Highly conductive path 114 has an inductance value and is in the shape of a coil. The shape of each loop of the coil interlaced with the substrate is not limited to a particular geometric shape. For example, circular, square, rectangular, and triangular loops are suitable for use in connection with the present invention.
Highly conductive path 114, in one embodiment, intersects a plurality of substantially parallel surfaces and fills a plurality of substantially parallel holes. Highly conductive path 114 is formed from a plurality of interconnected conductive segments. The conductive segments, in one embodiment, are a pair of substantially parallel rows of conductive columns interconnected by a plurality of conductive segments to form a plurality of loops.
Highly conductive path 114, in one embodiment, is fabricated from a metal conductor, such as aluminum, copper, or gold or an alloy of a such a metal conductor. Aluminum, copper, or gold, or an alloy is used to fill or partially fill the holes, perforations, or other paths subtending the substrate to form a plurality of conductive segments. Alternatively, a conductive material may be used to plug the holes, perforations, or other paths subtending the substrate to form a plurality of conductive segments. In general, higher conductivity materials are preferred to lower conductivity materials. In one embodiment, conductive path 114 is partially diffused into the substrate or partially diffused into the crystalline structure.
For a conductive path comprised of segments, each segment, in one embodiment, is fabricated from a different conductive material. An advantage of interconnecting segments fabricated from different conductive materials to form a conductive path is that the properties of the conductive path are easily tuned through the choice of the conductive materials. For example, the internal resistance of a conductive path is increased by selecting a material having a higher resistance for a segment than the average resistance in the rest of the path. In an alternate embodiment, two different conductive materials are selected for fabricating a conductive path. In this embodiment, materials are selected based on their compatibility with the available integrated circuit manufacturing processes. For example, if it is difficult to create a barrier layer where the conductive path pierces the substrate, then the conductive segments that pierce the substrate are fabricated from aluminum. Similarly, if it is relatively easy to create a barrier layer for conductive segments that interconnect the segments that pierce the substrate, then copper is used for these segments.
Highly conductive path 114 is comprised of two types of conductive segments. The first type includes segments subtending the substrate, such as conductive segments 106. The second type includes segments formed on a surface of the substrate, such as conductive segments 109. The second type of segment interconnects segments of the first type to form highly conductive path 114. The mid-segment cross-sectional profile 124 of the first type of segment is not limited to a particular shape. Circular, square, rectangular, and triangular are all shapes suitable for use in connection with the present invention. The mid-segment cross-sectional profile 127 of the second type of segment is not limited to a particular shape. In one embodiment, the mid-segment cross-sectional profile is rectangular. The coil that results from forming the highly conductive path from the conductive segments and interweaving the highly conductive path with the substrate is capable of producing a reinforcing magnetic field or flux in the substrate material occupying the core area of the coil and in any coating deposited on the surfaces of the substrate.
Magnetic film 112 is formed on substrate 103 to increase the inductance of highly conductive path 114. Methods of preparing magnetic film 112 include evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, laser ablation, and electrochemical deposition. In one embodiment, high coercivity gamma iron oxide films are deposited using chemical vapor pyrolysis. When deposited at above 500 degrees centigrade these films are magnetic gamma oxide. In an alternate embodiment, amorphous iron oxide films are prepared by the deposition of iron metal in an oxygen atmosphere (10-4 torr) by evaporation. In another alternate embodiment, an iron-oxide film is prepared by reactive sputtering of an Fe target in Ar+O2 atmosphere at a deposition rate of ten times higher than the conventional method. The resulting alpha iron oxide films are then converted to magnetic gamma type by reducing them in a hydrogen atmosphere.
The field created by the conductive path is substantially parallel to the planarized surface and penetrates the coating. In one embodiment, the conductive path is operable for creating a magnetic filed within the coating, but not above the coating. In an alternate embodiment, the conductive path is operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic field within the film and within the substrate.
FIG. 3A and
In accordance with the present invention, a current flows in inductor 301 and generates magnetic field or flux 310. Magnetic field or flux 310 passes through sense inductor 304 or sense inductor 307 and induces a current in spiral sense inductor 304 or sense inductor 307. The induced current can be detected, measured and used to deduce the inductance of inductor 301.
Embodiments of inductors and methods of fabricating inductors suitable for use with integrated circuits have been described. In one embodiment, an inductor having a highly conductive path fabricated from a plurality of conductive segments, and including coatings and films of ferromagnetic materials, such as magnetic metals, alloys, and oxides has been described. In another embodiment, an inductor capable of being fabricated from a plurality of conductors having different resistances has been described. In an alternative embodiment, an integrated test or calibration coil capable of being fabricated on the same substrate as an inductor and capable of facilitating the measurement of the magnetic field or flux generated by the inductor and capable of facilitating the calibration the inductor has been described.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
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